The Invasion of 1910, with a full account of the siege of LondonLe Queux, William
Science
The Invasion of 1910, with a full account of the siege of London
Le Queux, William
Great Britain -- Defenses; Imaginary wars and battles
On Friday night an official communication from the War Office was issued
to the Press, showing the exact position of the invaders. It was roughly
this:--
“The IXth German Corps, which had effected a landing at Lowestoft, had,
after moving along the most easterly route, including the road through
Saxmundham and Ipswich, at length arrived at a position where their
infantry outposts had occupied the higher slopes of the rising ground
overlooking the river Stour, near Manningtree, which town, as well as
Ipswich, was held by them.
“The left flank of this corps rested on the river Stour itself, so that
it was secure from any turning movement. Its front was opposed to and
directly threatened Colchester, while its outposts, to say nothing of
its independent cavalry, reached out in a northerly direction towards
Stowmarket, where they joined hands with the left flank of the Xth
Corps--those under Von Wilburg, who had landed at Yarmouth--whose
headquarters were now at Bury St. Edmund’s, their outposts being
disposed south, overlooking the valley of the upper reaches of the
Stour.”
Nor was this all. From Newmarket there came information that the enemy
who had landed at Weybourne and Cromer--viz., the IVth Corps under Von
Kleppen--were now encamping on the racecourse and being billeted in the
town and villages about, including Exning, Ashley, Moulton, and
Kentford. Frölich’s cavalry brigade had penetrated South, covering the
advance, and had now scoured the country, sweeping away the futile
resistance of the British Yeomanry, and scattering cavalry squadrons
which they found opposed to them, all the time maintaining communication
with the Xth Corps on their left, and the flower of the German Army, the
Guards Corps, from King’s Lynn, on their right. Throughout the advance
from Holt, Von Dorndorf’s motorists had been of the greatest utility.
They had taken constantly companies of infantry hither and thither. At
any threatened point, so soon as the sound of firing was heard in any
cavalry skirmish or little engagement of outposts, the smart motor
infantry were on the spot with the promptness of a fire brigade
proceeding to a call. For this reason the field artillery, who were
largely armed with quick-firing guns, capable of pouring in a hail of
shrapnel on any exposed point, were enabled to push on much farther than
would have been otherwise possible. They were always adequately
supported by a sufficient escort of these up-to-date troops, who,
although infantry, moved with greater rapidity than cavalry itself, and
who, moreover, brought with them their Maxims, which dealt havoc far and
near.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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